Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD HOPKINS, OF FROSTBURG, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,287, dated October 27, 1874; application led June 13, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that l, RIcHARD HOPKINS, of Frostburg, in the county* ot Allcghany and State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Gar-Coupling, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved carcoupling; with uncoupling mechanism at the top or'sides of the car; Fig. 2, a front view of the'draw-head, partly in section, through the uncoupling-link, on line'c c, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Ihe invention is an improvement in the class of automatic couplings which are adapted for being uncoupled by devices operated from the top, side, or platform of the car.

'Ihe improvement relates to the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, and specifically indicated in the claim.

In the drawing, A represents a draw-head, applied in any approved manner to the carframe, and being made with square or rectangular cross-section and cavity. The drawhead A is provided with longitudinal top and bottom slots a, in which the coupling-pin swings. rEhe coupling B is pivoted loosely to the lateral front piece of frame C, which is pivoted by its rearward-extending varms to suitable staples or fastening-bands b of the draw-head. The side part or arms of rodframe C swing along the sides of the drawlicad, and carry a bottom piece, C', which eX- tends across the under side of the draw-head, and deiines the extent of motion in raising the pin for uncoupling, and also weights the same, to cause the dropping of the couplingpin after the uncoupling mechanism is released. The rod-frame C is hung by its front rod to the hook-shaped end of levers D, which are pivoted to suitable staples of the car frame or platform, and connected by elbow-shaped eX- tensions D', being bent under suitable angle to the forward-projecting lever D, and passing up along the sides of the car, to be there operated by cord-and-pulley arrangement d, or operated at the topof the car by a lateral crank-rod, e, and lever-connection e', with a crank-shaft and Wheel, f, supported in a top frame, j", in such a manner that both drawheads may be operated thereby, as required. I show in Fig. 3 a form of link, E, adapted for use with the coupling devices above deh. RICHARD s HOPKINS. mark.

Witnesses:

DANIEL LEwIs7 JOHN A. HEIDLE. 

